Process of making carbon acids and ketones.



. hereby declare the following to be a full,

NITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

HENRYSPENCER BLACKMORE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

.PROCESS OF MAKING CARBON ACIDS AND KETONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SPENCER BLACKMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at 206 South Ninth avenue, in the city of Mount Vernon, county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Carbon Acids and Ketones and I do clear, and exact descri tion ofthe invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the The object of my invention is to produce carbon acids and ketones, such as acetic acid and acetones, synthetically by the union or combination of hydrocarbons with carbonic anhydrid and it consists in exposing the hydrocarbon to the action of carbon dioxid and heat.

My invention relates articularly to' the production of acetic aci and acetone from methane, but is not limited to the production of these compounds as many others may be likewise produced by employing other hy drocarbons, such as the production of. benzoic acid and benzophenon from benzin (C H &c.

In carrying out my invention for the production of acetic acid andacetone from methane I proceed as follows: I take carbon dioxid and pass it through a heated receptacle, such as a series of tubes, whereby it becomes highly heated to a degree approaching its point ofdissociation into carbonic oxid and oxygen, at which time it is gradually mixed with methane (CH methyl-hydrid) and the product conveyed into a condenser.

The highly-heated carbon dioxid coming in' contact with the methane causes a dissociation and condensation thereof forming acetic acid and acetone which distils and is condensed. Care'must be taken to kee the apparatus at a temperature below the ssociating-point of the productsviz., acetic acid or more clearly illustrated by the following steps. Production of acetic acid It is obvious that the heating of the carbon dioxid (00,) only serves to bring it to a point approaching dissociation, so that it readily transforms when brought in contact with reducing a ents, such as hydrocarbons, inas- OH heat CHs- C O much as t e combination of the elements constitutes a heat-absorbing process and the heat naturally has therefore to be supplied thereto to equalize the deficiency and render combination possible. This'heat instead of being introduced directly into the carbon dioxid by heating prior to utilization may be supplied by any convenient means, such as passing a'mixture of carbon dioxid and methane through platinum gauze brou ht to an incandescent heat by the passage 0 an electric current. When an excess of methane is present and the temperature considerably elevated, a larger portion of acetone and watplr is produced directly instead of aceticacid, t

action of the methane on the acetic acidfirst produced, thus a O2H402+ CH4 CzsHeO H20. It is obvious that the production of acetic Y acid and acetone is more or less simultaneous,

and consequently constituting a process, the

production of either being governed by heat and the proportion of .methane, a lower temperature and limited supply of methane producing a larger product of acetic acid, while a 7 higher temperature and excess of methane favors alarger yield of acetone.

The products should be cooled, condensed,

and removed as quickly as ossible, conveying the same to a receptac e out of contact with heat in order to affect a larger yield by ber, and Fig. 3 a cross section of one of the rings and electric connection of the transforming-chamber and an electric gauze diahragm connected therewith.

The letter A designates a transformingchamber of cylindrical or other form provided at its top withan elbow B and pipe C, the latter connected with a jacketed condenser D in any desired air-tight manner. The lower end of the transforming-chamber A is provided with a detachable head E, having a central stuHing-box or screw-threaded plug F of insulating material connected therewit 1 and in which is fitted a rod or electric connection G, the upper portion of which is formed in sections having screw-threaded connections, as shown at a a a. in Fig. 2. The transforming-chamber A, like the electric connection G, is partly composed of sections, as shown at b b I), (see Figs. 1 and 2,)

, the said sections being joined together by the threaded ends 0 c c".

A series of metallic gauze diaphragms d are arranged within the transforming-chamber A, the said diaphragms being securely held in relative posit-ions by the abutting shoulders of the screw-threaded ends of the transforming-chamber rings and of the central connection thereof.

The upper and lower diaphragms d and d are arranged in several thlckness, forming a heat-absorber and flash-preventer and insulated from the electric connection G, as shown at e e, for the purposes hereinafter fully described.

Peep-holes f f having mica fronts or covers h h, are located at the opposite sides of the combustion or transforming compart ments A to enable the attendant to view the latter provided with a T-head l and an in-- let-pipe m, while within the stem of the T- head and the tube Z is arranged a pipe n, for the purposes hereinafter fully specified.

tion 0 acetic acid and acetone I introduce carbon dioxid into the transforming-chamber A through the inlet-pipe m and methane (OIL) through the pipe n simultaneously, whereupon they become thoroughly mixed by difl'usion and pass up through the flashingdiaphragms (1 into the combustion or transforming compartment A. A current of electricity is then turned on through the terminals '5 t 1'. which passing through the gauze diaphragm d d heats the same in proportion to the strength of the current employed.

The temperature of the diaphragm being readily ascertained by looking through the mica-covered peep-holes f, as the mixture of carbon dioxid an methane comes in contact with the heated dia hragm a condensation or reaction takes piiice according to the temperature at which the diaphragms are maintained and the proportional mixture of gases, as hereinbefore fully explained.

The temperature of the diaphragms is maintained at a low red heat for the condensation of the gases into acetic acid and at a bright red for producin acetone.

In addition to the a sorption of heat and regulation of temperature by the heat-absorbing diaphragms it should be noted that alarge Ill-operating my invention for the producamount of the heat which would become evolved by the tlirect oxidation of the hydrocarbon is taken up in the condensation or formation of the productsin other words, the condensation or transformation constitutes an endothermic process.

The current of gases passing through immediately removes the product and prevents the temperature from rising above the dissociating-point of the roduct desired, which is controlled by the ow of gases introduced and the temperature of the electrical gauze diaphragm d d, which is regulated by the amount of electricity caused to flow therethrough ina given time.

The products conveyed from the transforming or combustion apartment A pass through the outer heat-absorbing or flash-preventing gauze diaphragms d which absorb the excess of heat, conducting it. therefrom, and thus revent the decomposition of the product at 'gh temperature which might otherwise accumulate and enabling the operation tobe practically and fully controlled. The product after cooling by passing through the gauze heat-strainers or outer flashauze diaphragms, passes into the water-jac eted condenser D through the pipe C, where it is condensed and withdrawn from time to time, as desired. It can be thus readily seen, however, that after starting or commencing IIO the reaction-by properly regulating the apparatus, supply bfgases, &c., the process can e carried on continuously without interruption.

The term carbon acid as employed herein has reference to compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen or such as were formerly known as or anic acids before the development of the c emistry of carbon com ounds and synthetic chemistry.

aving now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The processof producing carbon acids and ketones, which consists in exposin hydrocarbon to the action of carbon dioxi at a temperature at which. oxygen thereof has a selective affinity for the hydrogen content of the hydrocarbon.

2. The process of producing compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen,

which consists in exposing hydrocarbon to the action of carbon dioxid at a temperature at which carbon dioxide yields oxygen to the hydrogen of the hydrocarbon while maintaining the temperature below the dissociating-point of the product desired.

3; The process of producing carbon acid and ketone which consists in gradually supplying heat to carbon dioxid and hydrocarbon while in contact after having established a combinin orreacting sphere of temperature and co lecting and condensing the product thereof.

4. The process of producing carbon acids and ketones, which consists in inducing a union or reaction between carbon dioxid and hydrocarbon by supplying heat thereto and maintaimng the temperature within the combining or reacting sphere below the dissociating-point of the product desired. i 5. The process of producing acids and temperature at which a union, or reaction is induced and continuing the process by supplying heat and ingredients thereto Wlll e maintaining the temperature below the dissociating-point of the product desired.

8. The process of producing acids andketones, which consists in establishing a s here of reaction or combination within a uid body containing hydrocarbon and carbon oxid and maintainin the reaction or combination by supplying eat thereto.

9. The process of making carbon acids and ketones, which consists in subjecting hydrocarbon to the action of an oxygen-yielding carbon compound at a reacting temperature maintained below the dissociating-point of the product desired.

10. The process of making carbon acids and keytones, which consists in subjecting hydrocarbon to the action of a carbon oxyacid anhydrid at a reacting temperature maintained below the dissociating-point of the product desired.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' HENRY SPENCER BLAGKMORE. 

